FINISHED!

[alt_padma]

I'm ALL DONE for the YEAR!

Thank Ganesh I've had Smith for a partner in Potions for the last part of the term. Even though we were on our own today, I just know that if I'd been dragging Hopkins along with me, I wouldn't have done nearly so well on the final exam.

Oh, and Mum and Dad, yes, everyone's in a right state about Transfiguration, but honestly it wasn't that bad. It was, oh, you know - random, that's the word - but really not too terrible, if you've been paying attention. I was quite surprised.  (Parvati's still probably not going to do as well, even though I tried making her revise)

And look! I've figured out how to Transfigure the ink to something more interesting than boring old black.

Oh, Draco, happy birthday! I saw all those owls, as well as your usual one. Your dad's, I mean. Wow.

Comments

[alt_draco]

I'm having a party tonight. You coming?

[alt_padma]

You bet!

We've got some things for you.

[alt_draco]

Really now? It better not be anything for my hair.

[alt_padma]

Hah-hah. No, though you would look fetching with a bow on your head.

Ooh, did you get crackers?

[alt_draco]

Yeah, there were some crackers in the hamper, so they're probably good ones.

[alt_padma]

I liked the singing crown one. It sort of goes with the card Lav made you.

Theyre both glittery.

[alt_draco]

Oh, I feel odd. The force of the imploding snap lifted me out of my seat for a minute and then brought me down hard. You and Lav should have a go when Blaise and Michael are done.

[alt_padma]

Okay, yeah, that was weird. Sort of floaty for a moment, but then whump.

D'you suppose it'd be better or worse with a four-handed game?

[alt_seamus]

You didn't think transfiguration was bad? All right then how did you answer the question about Moscow? I don't remember him mentioning any Russian wizards in class ever.

[alt_padma]

It was a trick question.

When Dimitriov was the court wizard the Czar lived in St Petersburg, not Moscow.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah this is why everyone thought it was a horrible test. I thought that question was about Winifred the Wanderer and the patterning technique she developed. So that would also be a trick question but the trick is realising it happened in Russia but it wasn't a Russian who made the discovery.

I mean I think he could have been wanting either.

How did you answer the one about skin, Patil?

[alt_padma]

I said that because skin and leather share similar properties they have the same kind of malleableness. So anything you'd use leather for can easily be made out of skin. Like silk purses and sow's ears, my mum says.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well you have to be careful with the leather before you transfigure it. If it's not preserved just right it won't transfigure properly. Although my father wasn't all that good at transfiguration. He was better with charms. Maybe if he'd been better at transfiguration it would've worked better.

[alt_padma]

Why what did he try transfiguring? Mum transfigures fabrics all the time to make artificial silk and cotton for people who can't afford the real stuff. only it doesn't breath the way the real stuff does.

[alt_sally_anne]

He tried transfiguring the skin from a squirrel. He wanted to turn it into something really simple like plain thick cloth. It transfigured but then it started to stink and rot, it was just disgusting.

I'm actually not sure if that happened because my father wasn't very good at transfiguration, or because we didn't tan the leather right.

Say, how much of the grapefruit marmalade is left? You're over right by the table. Is it worth trying to taste it? I heard someone say it wasn't very nice.

[alt_padma]

It's really sour.

But it was funny to watch Parkinson take a nibble expecting sweet. It made her face pucker up!

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh no wonder she told me not to bother.

I like sour things. I think I'll see if there's any left.

[alt_pansy]

It was really sour.

But Lucius probably thought Draco would like it because he likes sour things. Oranges and lemons and limes, like. And he doesn't like sweets.

Once I asked him if that was a grown-up thing because I didn't want to grow up if it meant I wouldn't like sweets anymore.

I mean, imagine not liking chocs?

[alt_sally_anne]

I will never not like chocolate. Not even when I'm 110 years old.

[alt_padma]

Me neither.

But Haruman said that soon it'll give us spots and then we can't gobble up all we can get.

[alt_sally_anne]

Don't they have potions that get rid of spots?

[alt_padma]

Yes, but Haruman says using them too much can leave damage permanently.

He's learning to be a Healer so he ought to know.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well some people get lucky and never get spots at all, just look at Siobhan. Or Martha Yaxley. So maybe I'll be lucky. I can hope anyway.

[alt_padma]

Hah, and some people are already all spotty. Like Midgen.

[alt_sally_anne]

True! And Milli gets spots sometimes.

[alt_padma]

Anyway I think it's easier to use makeup spells.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oooooh that IS sour. A little bitter too. Nothing like grapes.

[alt_padma]

And did you tell your friend Weasley that it's loud in here?

Oh, nevermind, you did.

Hey, did you see that just now? Those Hufflepuffs that just tried to crash?

[alt_sally_anne]

It was Hufflepuffs who tried to come in? I don't know what they were thinking. I don't think there are any Hufflepuffs that Draco considers friends though there might be one or two he doesn't consider completely contemptible.

[alt_padma]

Some of the older ones (but not 2nd-years, for pity's sakes!), and maybe Smith. But yes, mostly they're all witless like Hopkins or tiresome gulls like Jones.

[alt_draco]

Smith when he's not being shirty and gobbing off, maybe, which is pretty much never.

[alt_seamus]

I tried a little of the grapefruit stuff but only a little. Not my thing. Now the fig compote is wizard. And the cheese! Mmm.

[alt_padma]

Yeah, the cheese is nift.

I really liked the venison pies, too.

[alt_sally_anne]

Anyway that's mostly what I wrote about. I talked about the uses of slightly degraded animal skins. I don't know what he'll make of it though. I never know how I did on Professor Carrow's tests till I get the results.

[alt_padma]

Yeah it was more a theory question, I thought.

It was harder to describe the sensation in your hands when you cast 'Lambustate' - I mean, isn't it different for everyone?

[alt_sally_anne]

Well I figured we could just describe how it felt to us although he told us back in February how it felt for HIM when he cast it. How does it feel to you? It's always felt a little like holding a warm washrag for me unless I didn't get enough sleep and then it feels like pins and needles.

[alt_padma]

Mmm... more the pins and needles. And Morag says I flush a little.

Parvati says it's like she's got an itch in her palms.

[alt_ron]

Wow. That must be a really nift party if you're all sitting around writing in your journals and talking about the Transfig exam.

Really, there's always chess if it just gets too dull down there!

[alt_sally_anne]

It's LOUD in here! I can talk to Pansy but if I want to talk to Patil it's a lot easier to use the journal than to shout across the room.

[alt_padma]

You could always come down yourself and have some food.

Oh wait, you can't, can you, because your not mates with Malfoy.

At least your not as daft as those Hufflepuffs. I think they were even 2nd-years.

[alt_ron]

No, I'm not mates with Malfoy. You're dead right there.